


Captive

by whitecrossgirl



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Case Fic, F/M, Kidnapping, NO underage abuse or assault, dark!Teddy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-21
Updated: 2020-06-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:54:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23771158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitecrossgirl/pseuds/whitecrossgirl
Summary: After an argument with her parents, Holly Santiago-Peralta had only let her guard down for a few minutes. But it had been enough. Kidnapped and held hostage by someone who believes that she is his daughter; Jake and Amy race against the clock to find their daughter and bring her home.Absolutely NO underage sexual assault.
Relationships: Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago
Comments: 58
Kudos: 90





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this idea came from watching Brooklyn 99 and Criminal Minds, alternating between series. It was inspired by the idea of a darker Teddy; who's obsession over Amy is played off humorously as a clingy ex. However I wanted to look at a darker Teddy who obsessed over Amy and the life he could have had with her. I hope you like it.

Holly Santiago-Peralta tried to focus on her French teacher’s lecture about verb tenses and endings, however her mind kept flickering back to the argument that she had had with her parents. They rarely fought, only this one had been a bad one. They had refused to let her go to a party this weekend that was due to be held after the basketball game. One of the biggest parties of the year that everyone was going to. Everyone who didn’t have insanely over-protective cop parents anyway. Holly had had to stomach everyone talking about the party; what they were wearing, who was going with who, recalling what had happened at the last one. Even the students who didn’t plan on going were being drawn into conversations or talking about their own plans for Friday night.

Holly didn’t have plans for Friday night. At least for when the game was over. As part of the cheerleader team, she was expected to be there and her parents expected to pick her up the moment the game was over. While everyone else was having fun at the party, she would be alone in her room. Bored and under lock and key. 

“Holly!” Katie hissed as she tapped her arm. Holly jolted and met her teacher’s stern gaze. Clearly she had been asked a question. 

“Um, ils sont joue?” Holly suggested as her teacher raised an eyebrow.

“No, Holly. That is not the translation for ‘she is listening’. Maybe you ought to try it yourself?” Her teacher said testily as Holly bit her lip. She was angry at her parents but didn’t want to make it worse by having them find out she cursed out her French teacher. 

“Sorry Miss,” Holly apologised; feeling a different ripple of frustration. Typical goody-goody Little Miss Perfect Holly didn’t want to get in trouble. That’s who she was, who she was expected to be. The perfect all-American teenager. Straight A’s in her private school which she attended on a scholarship; member of the cheerleading team, the student council, the anti-bullying team; a good group of friends, no issues with drinking, smoking or drugs, a part-time job in a coffee shop on Saturdays being a sweet, helpful, polite barista and waitress. Perfect. Everyone expected her to be perfect. Any slip-ups were dismissed and remarked as _”That’s so unlike you Holly”_ without any effort to dig deeper and find out why she might have slipped up. 

Her parents, family, friends and teachers had her on a pedestal. 

None of them cared that she was afraid of heights. 

It wasn’t that she wanted to be a rebel; go off the rails, smoking, drinking, partying and ending up on one of those trashy old MTV shows. She just wanted to have a little less pressure on herself; to know it was OK to get a B on a test, or that it was fine for her to quit the Student Council; which was beyond boring. To be able to hang out with her friends or do something fun without her parents tracking her every move or sending squad cars out because she was five minutes late. She didn’t want to be perfect, she just wanted to be normal. 

When the school day was finally over, Holly decided to walk through the park to the subway station, instead of getting the bus. The weather was unusually warm for Spring and Holly removed her blazer and pushed up the sleeves of her jumper. As she bypassed the playground, Holly resisted the urge to sit on the swings. There were too many people around and she just wanted to be left alone. As Holly wandered through the park listening to music, she didn’t realise that she was slowly letting her guard down. 

Her parents had always warned her to be safe. 

They taught her how to know when someone was following her.

They showed her how to tell the difference between a bystander and a threat. 

They taught her how to defend herself. 

Holly had paid attention to them then. She wasn’t paying attention anymore. Instead she was lost in her own world, in her own thoughts. Holly wandered into the subway station, swiped her ticket and waited for her train to pull in. She hadn’t noticed the man who had followed her from the park. The man who had spent countless hours plotting and planning for this very moment. He had had years to think about her and it was fate that she had been the one to serve him on the day he stumbled across the coffee shop she worked in. He had known her instantly. She was as beautiful as he imagined her to be. She captivated him, he became obsessed with her. 

He knew everything about her. Her scholarship to St James’ Preparatory; one of the best schools in Brooklyn; her excellent grades - all A’s with plans to pursue an academic scholarship to college. He had watched her perform as part of the cheerleading squad; her wide grin as she yelled the cheers. He watched her talk to her friends, all suitable friends, no trouble makers. Just as he would want her to have. She was perfect in every single way; he had never any doubt of that. 

She was as perfect as her mother. 

As the train pulled into her stop, Holly stood up and melded into the crowd of commuters boarding and unboarding the train. As she climbed up the steps and across the concourse, Holly felt someone brush alongside her before feeling something press against her school jumper. A gun. 

“Don’t scream. Don’t run. Don’t do anything to alert anyone or you die.”

“What do you want from me?” Holly asked fearfully as he led her out of the station towards the parking lot. Her parents had warned her about this but they hadn’t warned her about her about how her body would shake, her stomach would flip over and how her heart would feel like it wanted to explode from terror. They were in the middle of rush hour yet no one even looked at them twice. Such was life in a big city, surrounded by millions of faces and never acknowledging any of them. 

“You’ll see.” The man replied as he led her to a black four door sedan, gesturing to the back door with the gun. “Get in.”

“Who are you?” Holly asked as she got into the car. If she could reach her phone. It was just in her inside pocket…

As if predicting her move, the man snatched her phone and crushed it under his foot. 

“That was a stupid idea Holly.” The man said and Holly felt a different wave of terror. This wasn’t some random thing. This guy knew her name, knew her. Most likely knew her family were predominantly cops who would tear the city apart to find her. 

“Who are you?” Holly asked again as the man got into the car and double-locked the doors, ensuring she couldn’t get out. He looked at her through the rear-view mirror and smiled at her. 

“I’m your dad, Holly.” Teddy replied as he sped off.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the reviews and feedback, it really does mean a lot as I know this is a story rarely looked at in this fandom

“What are you talking about?” Holly asked, pressing herself back into the seat, trying to figure out what was going on. He claimed that he was her dad but she knew Jake Peralta was her dad. She had seen her birth certificate, photos of the day she was born, had heard the story of how Jake had rushed from the biggest drug bust since 1986 to make it to the hospital in time for her birth. Biology aside, Jake was always there for her; he took sick days when she was ill, never missed a school event; especially since she made the cheerleading team; watched movies with her and was the embarrassing, dorky dad who made terrible jokes and ruffled her hair in front of her friends. Jake Peralta was her father, not this man.

“You’re my daughter.” Teddy repeated. “Your mother and I always loved each other, even when she started dating your stepdad. She and I had true love, we had our differences but no matter what, she loved me and I loved her. I tried to forget about her, move on, move away but then I came back to Brooklyn to see some old Jazz Brunch buddies when I walked into a coffee shop. You served me my coffee and I knew instantly that you were my daughter.”

“I served you?” Holly asked. The coffee shop she worked in, _Coffee Time! ,_ was one of the busiest coffee shops in Brooklyn. Less than five blocks from the 99; it was often frequented by cops and was one of the reasons why her parents let her work there. However, due to it being so busy, unless it was someone who came in literally every day; it was almost impossible to remember who she had served. 

“You did and I knew then that we had to be a family again.” Teddy explained. It hadn’t been easy and this wasn’t how he had wanted to do this. Words such as ‘delusion’, ‘obsession’, ‘disorder’ were being used far too frequently to describe him. All he was doing was reuniting with his family. He was doing this for love. What was wrong with that?

The car stopped at a red light and Holly leapt into action, kicking at the window with both feet. However instead of the window even slightly cracking, all that happened was a jolt of pain shooting up both of her feet with the force of the kick reverberating back on her. In an instant, Teddy’s whole dynamic changed as he spun around and glared at her. Until now, he could have passed for normal; had he not kidnapped her at gunpoint. Now he was staring at her with a cold, terrifying rage as he reached for something in the passenger seat. 

The light turned green. 

A car horn honked behind them. 

If she sat up… 

signalled for help... 

“Oh Holly, I don’t like how disobedient you are.” Teddy said as he pointed the weapon at her. 

A jolt of electricity shot through her, causing her body to spasm. Holly fell back onto the seat, her body jerking uncontrollably as her head swam and bile rose up her throat. The world seemed to tilt and sway but Holly tried to stay awake, to stay focused. However Teddy made a sharp left turn, black spots popped in front of her eyes and the world went dark.

“Holls? Holls, you home?” Jake called as he walked into the apartment. He had been thinking about the argument he and Amy had had with Holly all day and he was determined to put it right. He supposed that it was possible that he and Amy were too over-protective sometimes and Jake knew a lot of it, from him at least, stemmed from having an absent father. He hadn’t wanted to miss a moment of Holly’s life, he wanted to make sure she was provided for, was safe and made the right choices. He knew that Amy had had a lifetime of being overshadowed by her brothers; always determined to prove herself. Therefore she was determined that Holly never felt overshadowed by anyone. They simply wanted what was best for her. 

Although it had left Jake wondering if it had done more harm than good. Rosa had told him how her parents had pushed her and left her to correct her mistakes and he wondered whether he and Amy had done the same. Was there a line that he and Amy had crossed? Had they actually turned into pushy parents who lived vicariously through their daughter, like a pageant mom forcing her daughter to compete or a football dad who hired a hitman to ensure his son made quarterback? Amy never had an academic scholarship. Jake had never been a part of the popular kids in high school. They had gotten jobs as teenagers due to financial necessity (Karen wasn’t the best with money and having eight children to feed on the Santiago’s two salaries wasn’t easy); not as a way to get a little extra cash. 

Over the years, Jake had become better with his thoughts and emotions. He still saw his therapist from time to time. Maybe he ought to make an appointment, Jake mused, pulling himself from his heavy thoughts as he realised the obvious.

Holly wasn’t home. 

There were no signs of her usual after-school routines. The TV was off. The breakfast dishes were where he had left them to dry this morning. Their rule was, first one home put the dishes away as it was a job all three of them hated. There was no sound of music coming from her room as she did her homework or messaged her friends. There was no sign of her out on the trampoline practising flips for cheerleading. 

His detective instincts took over, though they did little to quell the panic in his stomach. He knew he was potentially over-reacting and proving Holly’s point about he and Amy being over protective. Therefore, Jake decided to be methodical. There were many reasons why Holly was not yet home, which would have resulted in a text to him or Amy; who would always text the latter. 

OK maybe they were overprotective. Sometimes. 

Jake checked his phone. No new messages. No missed calls. He checked the wall organiser but today was Tuesday; the one afternoon where Holly didn’t have cheer practice or student council after school. Anti-bullying meetings were held on Thursday at lunchtime. She hadn’t mentioned any plans to hang out with her friends and even if she did, she was usually home by seven. 

It was quarter to seven. 

He would give her fifteen minutes to get home. Fifteen minutes and then he would call Amy and send out the search party. Jake decided to call anyway, just to remind her that she needed to get home. 

“This is the voicemail for-” Jake hung up and tried again. Voicemail again. A third call went to voicemail and Jake walked into Holly’s room. It was as messy as it had been this morning; her bed unmade, make up scattered over her dresser, clothes and teddies all over the floor. Jake looked around and spotted her phone charger still plugged into the wall. Both her portable charger and back up portable charger were still there. So it was possible that her phone had died. Even though all of her friends would have phones or chargers that she could use. 

However that instinct had kicked in again. This time it was telling him that something was wrong. Jake knew it was possible that Holly had lost track of time hanging out with her friends. It was possible she was on the subway and had no phone signal to receive his call. Maybe due to their argument, she was wanting to clear her head before she got home. Maybe. Maybe not. 

Jake wasn’t sure what it was; whether it was his instinct as a detective or his instinct as a parent, but he knew something was wrong. Terribly wrong. 

For the fourth time in the last ten minutes, Jake made a call. This time, someone answered. 

“Amy, something’s wrong. Call the squad.”


	3. Chapter 3

“What do you mean she’s missing?” Amy asked hysterically as Jake put his arm around her. This couldn’t be happening. This happened to the people they helped, not to them.

“Are you sure she isn’t just running late? Ava couldn’t keep track of time when she was Holly’s age.” Terry reassured but this fell on deaf ears.

“I just know. I-I could sense it. That something was wrong. I’ve been trying her phone constantly but there’s been no answer. I’ve called her friends but they haven’t seen her since school ended. Terry, something is wrong.” Jake explained and Terry could see the fear in his eyes and he knew Jake was right. 

“All right, but we need to try and focus.” Terry stated; he was afraid too but someone had to take control. It was times like this when he missed having Holt as Captain. Holt could manage himself, even in the worst of situations. 

“What about the GPS app on her phone? Can’t you track it?” Rosa asked and Amy pulled out her phone with shaking fingers. This was her worst nightmare come true. As she swiped the screen Amy shook her head.

“It last pinged at the Metro station but that was hours ago. She could be anywhere!” Amy exclaimed and Jake tightened his hold on her. They were both terrified and the fact that between them they had worked as cops for almost forty years was of little reassurance. In fact it was worse. They knew all the facts and figures about abductions, especially the abductions of children. The steps that needed to be taken. The likelihood of her return that diminished more and more as time passed. 

“OK I’ve had the Amber Alert issued, Charles and I will head to the station to see if we can find anything. You two stay here, in case she turns up or someone calls. Terry, call the big guys in from Wing Slutz. We’re going to need them.” Rosa decided as the elevator doors opened and Holt walked in. Despite his usual impeccable appearance, Jake could see the flaring of his lip and the clenching of his hands.

Holt was terrified. 

“Holt, thanks for coming.” Terry said and Holt dismissed it. He may be Comissioner of the entirety of the NYPD, but some things were more important. 

“It’s Holly, she’s family. What do we know?” Holt asked as Jake quickly recapped on his return from work and the little information that they had. Terry set up a map of Brooklyn and began marking out the locations they were already aware of; Jake and Amy’s house, Holly’s school and the station where her phone last pinged. The familiarity of police work seemed to help Amy marginally as she began to write out the timeline of Holly’s day that she was aware of. 

Awake at 6. Left house at 6:55 to catch the 7:03 bus. Arrived at school at 7:48. Classes started at 8 sharp. School ended at 3:15. Her phone last pinged at 4:06. Those three numbers seemed to burn into her brain. 4:06. 4:06. 4:06. What was she doing at 4:06? Was she with someone? Was she worried or upset? Was it possible that she was meeting someone? Had she planned to run away? Had they pushed her away and into danger?

“Ames? Ames?” Jake asked, jolting her back into the present. Amy wiped away the lines she had scribbled onto the whiteboard and looked at Jake.

“Do you think this is because of the fight?” Amy asked. “Is this our fault?”

“No, we’ve had arguments before. Maybe she went to clear her head but she wouldn’t have run away.” Jake reassured. The fact that he had seen all of her personal belongings, especially essentials such as basic toiletries, phone chargers and clothes helped strengthen this feeling. Jake knew it was possible that she simply could buy replacements but this was his thread of hope and he was going to cling to it. 

“Where’s your head at?” Rosa asked Charles as they drove to the station. Charles had been worryingly subdued ever since Jake had called them and told them that Holly had gone missing. Usually in a time of crisis, Charles was a panicker. Him being so subdued and silent worried Rosa even more. She was trying to hold it together, to keep strong for the others. Someone had to be strong and if it was her, then so be it. 

“I don’t know,” Charles whispered. “I’ve never been this worried before. I can’t imagine how they’re feeling.”

“We’ll find her.” Rosa insisted as they pulled into the parking lot. “See if you can find anything.”

They worked quietly for a few moments, using experienced eyes to differentiate between litter and possible evidence. It was Charles who spotted the smashed remains of Holly’s phone next to an empty space. As Charles snapped on a pair of gloves, he carefully checked the phone case. A large spiderweb of cracks spread across the back but he could still make out the familiar cartoon corgi design on the back of the case. 

“I found her phone.” Charles called as Rosa dashed over, pulling an evidence bag from her pocket as she did. “She was here but we’re off the street. She wouldn’t have just dropped it and a pickpocket or mugger would hang onto it.” 

“Look at the screen. It’s been stamped on. This was done on purpose.” Rosa added as she glanced around. “Security cameras. We can pull the footage. This is the station Holly gets off at when she gets the train home. She would have come through the station so she’s got to be on their systems.”

“And if we see her, we can see who took her.” Charles said, freezing as he said the conclusion aloud. All the evidence was pointing to an abduction. Someone had kidnapped his best friends’ daughter; his niece. Whether it was a random abduction or a targeted was what they had to figure out; although if he had to guess, he would assume a targeted one. Someone chose Holly for a reason. 

“Call Jake. I’ll head into the station and see if we can get some footage.” Rosa decided as she marched into the station. Once she was out of earshot and eyeshot from Charles. Rosa allowed herself a moment of panic. Rosa took some deep breaths and dabbed her eyes before composing herself. 

“We’re going to find you kid. Don’t worry.” Rosa promised. Once she found out who the son of a bitch was who kidnapped her niece; she was going to rip their toenails out and feed it to them before she peeled their skin off with a rusty knife. No one messed with her family and got away with it.

“We’re home!” Teddy called as he pulled open the back door. Barely conscious and still groggy, Holly struggled to sit up and instinctively flinched away from Teddy’s attempt to hold her. However Teddy reached into the car and helped her out. Holly looked around but the world was still off-kilter and she couldn’t see anyone around. She tried to scream but no sound came out of her mouth. She knew it would be impossible to run, lest she got tased again. Or worse. 

Teddy led Holly up the steps into the house. A two-storey detached house with a neat front garden and a bay window in the front room. The sort of average, nondescript house which she would associate with a middle-class suburb. She heard several locks click as Teddy opened the door and led her inside. Holly leaned against the bannister as her vision began to return to normal. 

“Where are we?” Holly asked as she looked around. The house was neatly furnished but it felt fake; like a showroom or a safe house. There were no personal photographs, no trinkets, no signs of life. This wasn’t a home. It definitely wasn’t hers. 

“I told you, we’re home.” Teddy replied as he locked and dead-bolted the door. Just in case. “I’ll show you around.”

As Teddy led her around the house, Holly made a mental note of the doors and windows. The windows only opened at the top and Holly knew she wouldn’t be able to climb out of the windows. The back door was also locked with a deadbolt and there were no French doors. Teddy led her up the stairs and pointed out a room that had a sign on the door. _Holly’s Room._

“And this is your room.” Teddy said as he opened the door and led her inside. Holly looked around the room. She felt relieved that it didn’t look like her actual bedroom but she was concerned where some of the items had come from. It was like an imagined idea of a teenager’s bedroom. Random posters on the wall, teddy bears on top of the wardrobe. Some make up and clothes by the dresser. There was a door on the far wall. Holly stepped forward and took it as a sign that Teddy didn’t stop her. It was unlikely that she would be able to escape. The second room was an ensuite bathroom with brand new toiletries. Unused. 

She wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one. 

The sound of the door shutting made Holly rush out of the bathroom. She tugged the door handle but it was locked. Holly attempted to shoulder the door open but the door refused to budge. Holly rushed to the window which was locked. Holly looked down to see just a blank wall; no garage or sunroom roof that she could possibly climb onto. She was stuck. Holly looked around the room and sat on the floor by the side of the bed, hugging her legs. Her parents had to know that she was missing by now and she knew they would find her.

Somehow.


	4. Chapter 4

“I brought you some dinner.” Teddy announced as he unlocked the bedroom door. Holly looked up from her seated position on the floor and glared at him.

“I’m not hungry.” Holly stated, despite a mild rumble in her stomach that reminded her that she hadn’t eaten since noon. She regarded the plate in Teddy’s hand suspiciously. There was no telling what drugs he could have put in it. Drugs that knocked her out. Drugs that kept her awake but paralysed. Drugs that could kill her. 

“You need to eat. It’s lasagne.” Teddy stated cheerfully as he set the plate next to her. 

“I said I’m not hungry you freak!” Holly snapped as she flung the plate against the wall. The plate shattered on impact; leaving splattered mince, pasta and tomato sauce on the wall, dripping down to the floor. “Let me go or I swear I’ll scream that loud the whole street will hear.”

“You can try.” Teddy stated in a worryingly calm voice. “They won’t hear you.”

“Won’t they?” Holly asked before she let out an ear-piercing scream. She screamed again. And again. 

“This room is completely soundproofed. Your stepfather let you have his horrible temper. So scream. Tantrum. You won’t be heard.” Teddy advised as he looked at the broken plate and soiled lasagne. “You need to control your anger issues.”

“I don’t have anger issues!” Holly retorted. “I was kidnapped by gunpoint, forced into a car, tased and locked in a room by some strange weirdo who thinks I’m his daughter! I don’t know who you are! I don’t know who you think I am, but I am NOT your daughter! I will never BE your daughter! I wouldn’t want to be your daughter if this is how you would treat her!”

Holly knew she was risking her limited safety by yelling but all of her frustrations were being fuelled through the outlet of her situation. He had kidnapped her, scared her, hurt her. She wanted to hurt him and as she couldn’t do it physically, it had to be verbal. Holly could feel her chest heaving with deep breaths after her outburst but she stared Teddy down. He had remained silent before he shook his head. 

“Your stepfather has brainwashed you and your mother. I know you didn’t mean those words. We’ll talk when you’ve calmed down.” Teddy decided as he left and locked the door. Holly could hear three separate locks and bolts clicking and dragging. Holly looked at the smeared stain and cracked china as her stomach gave another rumble. However she knew it was wiser not to eat the food Teddy offered. His behaviour was unpredictable and there was still every possibility that he had done something. Even if it wasn’t drugs, he could have slipped something toxic into the food like bleach. 

Holly sat back on the floor, spine pressed against the hard wooden frame of the bed, hugging her knees. She had no idea what time it was and although she felt exhausted, she knew that she couldn’t sleep. She wouldn’t sleep. She shouldn’t sleep. 

So far Teddy’s actions had been physical and he was trying to get into her head by spinning his lies and twisting things; implying that Jake was an abusive, angry stepdad and that he was trying to save her. However that couldn’t mean that he would try something when he thought she was asleep. Something worse. 

“Have you been able to find anything?” Jake asked Hitchcock and Scully as the two, along with some of Amy’s uniformed officers, combed through the video. Even though they were all but retired, the two older detectives were still a firm part of the 9-9.

“Not yet.” Hitchcock replied, uncharacteristically focused on the video footage. They were playing the footage slowly, as to not miss a moment. However with the large number of people, it was also the challenge of finding Holly on camera. 

“I think I have something.” One of the uniformed officers called. Jake rushed to his desk and watched the footage. He could make out the Egpytian blue of Holly’s school sweater and her backpack. As Jake watched the on-screen footage, his stomach lurched as a man; tall, slightly stocky with a grey cap hiding his hair walked up behind her. Jake couldn’t tear his gaze away as the man walked her out of the station. 

“Can you get his face?” Jake asked as he looked around at the officers. “Has anyone got the footage from the door camera or the parking lot? Look for Holly; she’s in an Egyptian blue sweater and checked skirt. Purple backpack. The guy who has her is in a grey cap.”

“I do!” Another officer, Nadia, replied. 

“Look at 4:03.” Jake instructed as he all but leapt across the bullpen to Nadia’s computer. He watched as Nadia rewound the footage. Jake didn’t realise that he was shaking until Terry put a comforting arm around him as they watched Holly and the man walk out of the station. Nadia went frame by frame and it was only in one frame that they managed to see his face.

“Is that…?” Terry asked as Nadia paused the footage for them to get a closer look. As she tried to zoom in, the image blurred and wouldn’t resolute. As she zoomed out, Jake nodded.

“I think so. Amy! Dad! Rosa! Charles!” Jake called as the rest of the squad hurried over to the computer. “Please tell me that’s not who I think it is.”

“It is.” Amy whispered. “But why?”

“That’s what we need to find out.” Jake said as he squeezed her hand tightly. “Has anyone got his car?”

“Got it!” Scully called. “Black, four door sedan.”

“Cameras on parking lots tend to be clearer to record plates for parking fines. Got a partial plate. Delta. Zulu. Nine. Four. I can’t make out the rest, not sure which state it is.” Rosa called, writing the number on the license plate on a scrap of paper. 

“I’ll check the system.” Amy stated as she quickly accessed the system. Part of her hoped that they were wrong. That he couldn’t be the one who kidnapped Holly. Yet she knew, even before the search came back that it was him. What she couldn’t understand was why. She hadn’t seen Teddy for about seventeen years; way before Holly had even been born. She couldn’t remember the last time that she had even thought about him. “It’s him.”

“Teddy Wells. Got an address in New London, Connecticut. He took her over state lines. What do we do? Are we out of jurisdiction?” Amy asked, feeling the panic take over again. Holly wasn’t just somewhere in New York, she was hundreds of miles away. That was if this was the most recent address. If not, she could be anywhere. Amy had never appreciated just how vast the United States were until she considered the possibility of her baby lost and alone somewhere; trapped in a seedy motel room or locked in a drug den or abandoned on the side of the road. The last thing she had said to Holly hadn’t been an ‘I love you’. 

It had been a ‘If you miss the bus, I’m not driving you to school!’ 

She wished that she could go back to this morning and hug Holly. Tell her that she was loved, that they would talk about that stupid party. Or that she had gone to St James’ to collect Holly as soon as school was over. Then none of this would have happened. 

“Ames, you’re spiralling.” Jake said and Amy jumped. She hadn’t even realised that Jake had led her out onto the roof. Jake hugged her close and both of them swayed and cried. Terrified for their daughter. Confused about her abduction. Hoping she hadn’t been harmed. 

“I don’t understand. Why did he take Holly? She’s never met him or done anything wrong to him. We’ve not seen him since the wedding. Why has he done this?” Amy sobbed as Jake tightened his hold on her.

“I don’t know. All I know is that we know where he lives. Holt is on the phone to Connecticut state police.” Jake reassured. His mind was racing and all he could think about was finding Holly. If this was the address she was at, then this could all be over by morning.

“Anything?” Terry asked as Holt walked over to them.

“I spoke to the Connecticut state police. They’re going to send some officers to the address. Rosa, can you drive up there with Jake and Amy?” Holt offered as Charles stood up.

“I’m coming too.” Charles insisted as Terry nodded.

“So am I.” Terry agreed. Holt knew that professionally, it was an irrational decision. However this was one instance where he would let his personal life take over. Also, none of them wanted to admit it, but if the worst came to the worst; then Jake and Amy wouldn’t be there alone. 

“Very well; I’ll stay and follow up any leads, see if there are any other addresses. I have informed the state police to call me directly. If I hear anything, I will call immediately.” Holt decided as Jake and Amy hurried to the elevator. Rosa, Charles and Terry followed; Charles and Terry both texting Sharon and Genevive to let them know where they were going and Rosa snatched the keys from Jake’s hand.

“I’m driving.” Rosa said as they got into the elevator. “We’re going to find Holly and she’s going to be fine. Thousand push ups.”

Jake nodded and linked his fingers with Amy’s. “Thousand push ups.”

Holly shifted slightly, her backside was numb from sitting on the floor but she didn’t dare to move. Her stomach was aching with hunger, although she had given in and drank some water from the tap. She had also used the toilet but only after she had scoured the entire bathroom, looking for a camera. She had no idea what sick, distorted things went through her captor’s mind and it was one of the times she wished that her parents weren’t cops. It would have meant that she wouldn’t have so many ideas. 

One of her parents’ favourite guilty pleasures was watching cop shows on TV. Partly to see if they could solve it before the on screen cops and also to laugh at the many inaccuracies of TV cop shows. True-life crime shows and documentaries were also the only sort of documentaries that her dad would watch that weren’t related to movies. She had been watching them for years; becoming used to the blood, guts and gore as well as the police terminology her parents used and the different forms of criminal. For a time she had wanted to be a cop or a profiler or criminal psychologist; at least until she decided that she wanted to become a midwife. 

That was going to be her plan. Go to college, study midwifery and help bring new babies into the world. 

Now she had no idea what she was going to do. If she was going to survive. What if Teddy didn’t kill her and her parents couldn’t find her? What if she was stuck in here for years or for ever? 

No. she couldn’t think like that. Her parents would find her. Her family would save her. She would just have to wait. They were coming.

She just knew it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a really tricky chapter to write. I hope you like it.

“Dad? What have you heard?” Jake asked, putting his phone on speaker so they could all hear. They had been driving for over an hour and had crossed the state line into Connecticut but according to Rosa’s GPS, there was another hour to go. Despite the highway being almost empty due to it being almost midnight; it felt like the drive was taking forever. 

“The captain of the New London police department called. They had an officer knock at the address but there was no answer. The car is apparently outside so the address is correct. They’re still waiting on a warrant to enter the house.” Holt explained. It was a frustrating situation to be in. Without a warrant or hard evidence that Holly was in danger or dead; they couldn’t enter the house. However the more time it took for the warrant to arrive, the longer Holly remained a captive of Teddy’s.

“Do they know when they’ll have the warrant?” Terry asked, confirming that they were all on a conference call as his minivan was beside Rosa’s car on the highway. 

“They should have it within the hour.” Holt replied. New London was nothing like New York; where so many crimes were committed, it was relatively easy to get a warrant for any criminal offense. A small, coastal town in Connecticut was completely different. Statistically safer but right now, statistics offered him no comfort. 

“What’s the speed limit on a motorway?” Rosa asked.

“65 miles an hour?” Amy offered as Rosa put her foot down. 

“Not anymore. Sooner we get there, the better.” Rosa replied as she easily reached over 100 miles an hour.

“Damn Rosa, my van can’t go that fast.” Terry commented, watching her car speed off into the night.

“We’ll see you there. Keep us updated.” Charles piped up as the call ended. He turned to Terry who had sped up slightly but not as much as Rosa. “That has to be a good thing; no evidence of any serious foul play.”

“That the cops could see.” Terry reminded darkly as he put his foot down again. 

Holly jolted awake at the sound of someone hammering at the door. Holly rubbed her eyes and looked at her watch. It was about half one in the morning and for a second, she had forgotten where she was. Realisation kicked in as she noticed that she was lying on an unfamiliar wooden floor and that the knocking was on the door of the room she was in; it sounded like a front door.

“Mom and Dad!” Holly whispered; hope building in her heart as she stumbled to the door, unshaky on her left leg which ached with pins and needles. As she stretched her leg, Holly leant against the door, trying to listen for any sound that meant her parents were there. Instead she heard the sound of the bolt on the door sliding back as well as the clicking of the locks. Holly clenched her fists and balanced herself on the balls of her feet as Teddy opened the door, gun in hand as he stumbled in and grabbed her arm. “What are you doing?”

The knocking sound came again and this time it was followed by the splintering of wood and Holly understood. They had knocked but must have heard Teddy moving around and kicked or broke the door down. She was right. Her parents or the police were here for her. Teddy had also left the door open, the room was soundproofed but only when the door was shut. She had one chance, reckless as it was. 

“I’M UP HERE! PLEASE!” Holly bellowed as Teddy grabbed her from behind. His arm locked around her throat and he pressed the gun to her temple. 

“Shut up! I won’t let them take you away from me.” Teddy hissed as uniformed officers burst into the room. “Leave us alone. She’s my daughter.”

“Put the gun down. We can talk about this.” One of the officers said calmly, his gun trained on Teddy. However Holly knew that the way that Teddy was holding her, he was using her as a human shield as well as a hostage. Her parents had warned her how it was one of the most challenging situations for a cop to face; it would be extremely risky for the officer to take a shot at Teddy without hitting her. 

“She’s my daughter, why do you want to take her from me?” Teddy demanded. 

“We don’t want to take her from you. We just need to know that Holly is safe.” The officer explained calmly as Holly felt the gun press further into her temple. One of the officers behind him, had his hand to his ear and a worrying expression crossed his face.

“NO! She will only be safe with me! I wouldn’t let her walk the streets alone or using the subway at night!” Teddy rambled as Holly realised that she only used the subway if her parents were on the night shift and they couldn’t collect her from work. _Coffee Time!_ closed at ten but her parents hadn’t been on the night shift for weeks. How long had Teddy been following her for? 

“The way you kept Rebecca safe?” A second officer asked and Holly could feel Teddy tense up. 

“What do you mean? Rebecca and I seperated.” Teddy challenged. “Our marriage didn’t work.”

“That’s not true. We found Rebecca in the basement. We know what you did to her.” The second officer said and an unspoken moment of understanding went through them all. Rebecca Wells was dead. Teddy had murdered her. 

“She got in the way. She couldn’t understand that I needed to see my daughter! I needed my daughter in my life! I needed her with me!” Teddy ranted furiously as he kept the gun firmly against Holly’s temple. The cold metal was pressing harder and harder onto her temple vein. She could feel her pulse pumping against the end of the gun. She wondered whether it would hurt, would she even know if he shot her, would she hear it before she felt it? 

“You need to let her go. Look at her, she’s terrified.” The first cop said and Holly felt Teddy turn slightly as the tears that had filled her eyes finally tipped over. 

“Please, let me go.” Holly pleaded. “Please.”

“I can’t do that.” Teddy muttered. “They’ll take you from me. You need to be with me.”

“Not like this. Please.” Holly pleaded and had a brainwave. “Please Dad, let me go.”

Teddy shook his head. “I can’t lose you.”

His finger tightened on the trigger.

Rosa’s car hadn’t finished its skid to a stop before Jake and Amy had leapt from the car. The three of them sprinted towards the house that was surrounded by police cars and an EMT standing by. As they ran towards the house, Terry and Charles pulled up, leaping from their car too. As they neared the house, an officer went to turn them away. However Rosa had her badge ready but before she could say a word; a single shot echoed from inside the house.

“HOLLY!” Amy screamed as Jake’s knees gave way and he fell to the ground. 

No. 

Not like this...


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a long time but I've been busy and found this chapter really hard to write. It took about three or four different re-writes and even though I'm not fond of it; it's the best I could do.

Rosa shoved past an officer’s outstretched arm and sprinted into the house. She almost crashed into a pair of coroners as they wheeled a body bag across the hall. She had to ask. She had to be the one to break the news. “Who is it?”

“Hard to tell, the body’s pretty decomposed but it looks like Rebecca Wells. The wife.” One of the coroners explained and Rosa felt a shameful wave of relief. Rebecca Wells was an innocent victim too but Rosa’s focus was on Holly. Rosa turned and ran up the stairs, where she could see officers going into a room. She spotted the different locks and bolts on the outside of the door and felt a protective flare of rage. Her niece had been locked up like an animal. 

“Excuse me, you can’t b-” An officer began as Rosa shoved her badge into her face. 

“Sergent Rosa Diaz, NYPD and Holly Santiago-Peralta’s aunt. Let me in.” Rosa ordered as she elbowed past the officer and into the room. For a split second she saw a flash of blood and what looked worryingly like brain matter before she saw the stumbling, sobbing figure try to walk towards her before collapsing onto the floor. “Holly!”

“She’s fainted.” An officer said. “She was stood right next to him when he took the shot. Most likely she’s got a perforated eardrum but EMTs can take a closer look.”

The EMTs hurried into the room and began to set up a backboard for Holly. Rosa allowed them to do their job and turned her head to see a pair of officers cover Teddy with a sheet. Just as they raised it over his head, Rosa saw the entry wound on his chin and the blood spatter on the wall behind him. She didn’t need to ask, she knew what had happened. 

As the EMTs carried Holly out of the room and down the stairs, Rosa forced herself to follow them. Force of habit told her to stay and focus on the scene but rationality told her that she needed to be with her family. The local police had control of things here. As they wheeled Holly out of the house, Jake and Amy rushed over, stopping short at the sight of Holly unconscious and on a stretcher.

“She’s OK, she just passed out.” Rosa advised as Amy climbed into the ambulance. 

“I’m her mom and I’m going with her. Which hospital are we going to?” Amy asked the EMT.

“There’s only one hospital in town.” The EMT replied without looking up from Holly.

“We’ll meet you there.” Rosa said as she and Terry shared a look and got back into their cars, following the ambulance as it sped down the street, lights on but no siren. Jake was unable to say a word and as Rosa waited at a stoplight she reached over and covered his hand with hers. 

“Thousand push ups.” Rosa reminded as the light turned green. Jake’s head jerked slightly and he still seemed unable to speak as Rosa put her foot down. 

When they arrived at the hospital, Amy was waiting on them; pacing around the waiting room as she braided her hair between her fingers. “They’re checking over her. She’s got a perforated eardrum and she’s in shock but they don’t think there’s any severe injuries.”

“H-Has she…” Jake trailed off and Amy shook her head. 

“They said there was no sign of assault.” Amy replied, it was the only small relief she could think of. However there would still be a lot of trauma and challenges they would need to support Holly through.

“What happened in the house?” Charles asked as Rosa sighed heavily. “Where’s Teddy?”

“Dead. The gunshot was him shooting himself. They also found his wife.” Rosa explained.

“His wife?” Amy asked. “Is she OK?”

“No.” Rosa replied simply; nothing else needed to be said. But she was going to say it. “They found her in the basement. It seems like Teddy killed her a few weeks ago. If I had to guess, Teddy built a fantasy around Holly; he had made a bedroom for her in that house; but when Rebecca Wells tried to get him to see the truth; he snapped.”

“That poor woman.” Amy muttered. She had never heard of Rebecca until tonight but she had tried to save Holly. 

“Holt’s been updated. He said he’ll get the word out.” Terry said as a doctor approached them.

“Family of Holly Santiago-Peralta?” The doctor asked.

“We’re her parents.” Jake said gesturing to him and Amy. “How is she?”

“Well she has suffered a perforated eardrum from the gunshot; however with some medication, it should clear up by itself in a few weeks. You should try to limit her exposure to loud noises and keep an eye on her balance. There doesn’t seem to be any lasting physical damage from the taser but we’ll keep her overnight for observation. She’s sleeping at the moment.” The doctor explained to them.

“Can we see her?” Amy asked and the doctor nodded. 

“Normally we only allow two at a time, however the EMTS made me aware of the situation. I’ll allow it.” The doctor replied and he paused for a moment. “Rebecca was a friend of my boyfriend’s.”

“We’re sorry for your loss.” Jake said sincerely as the doctor nodded and composed himself before leading them to the room where Holly was sleeping. Jake and Amy sat on either side of her bed, reaching for her hands. Rosa, Terry and Charles loitered around the room, tired but unwilling to leave until Holly woke up. 

At 5:07am, Holt walked into the room, along with Kevin. He took in the sight of Jake and Amy sitting by their daughter’s bedside, both of them having lost their battle to stay awake. Against the wall, Rosa, Charles and Terry were sitting together against the wall; Charles’ head was lolling and Terry was able to somehow sleep with his arms folded and his chest pumped up. Rosa however was resting her hand on her chin, staring intently at the bed, determined not to let her guard down for a moment. 

“Rosa, have you been awake this whole time?” Holt asked quietly, as not to disturb the others.

“I needed to keep an eye on her.” Rosa replied, her body was uncomfortable in her seated position but she refused to move. If she got comfortable, she would fall asleep. If she fell asleep, there was no telling what would happen. 

“You should get some rest Rosa,” Kevin suggested and quickly answered her unspoken retort. “Raymond and I took turns to sleep on the drive here. We have rested. You ought to.”

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Rosa insisted and kept her eyes on the bed. As she watched, she noticed the slight shifting of Holly’s head. She was beginning to stir. Rosa stood up; ignoring the stiffness in her muscles as she, Holt and Kevin approached the bed. Roused from sleep by Holly’s movements, Jake and Amy sat up and squeezed her hands tighter.

“Holly, you’re in hospital. Can you hear me?” Jake asked softly as Holly blinked and squinted at the bright lights.

“My ear hurts,” Holly muttered before she sat up. “You’re here? Where’s Teddy? What happened?”

“We found you, you’re safe Baby. We promise.” Amy reassured as she hugged Holly tightly. 

“I’m sorry! I was just so mad about the party. I-I didn’t realise-” Holly babbled as Jake hugged her and Amy.

“Shush, it’s OK.This wasn’t your fault. Try to get some rest.” Jake reassured. “We’ll talk later.”

“You’ll stay, won’t you?” Holly asked; already feeling tired again. The movement had made her ear hurt even more and even the sound of them talking was painful.

“We’re not going anywhere. Promise.” Amy said as Holly lay back against the pillows. Rosa waited for her to drift off and as Jake and Amy finally noticed that Holt and Kevin where there, she dropped down to the floor.

“Rosa, what are you doing?” Kevin asked as Rosa propped herself up. She had promised Jake that Holly would be safe and unharmed. She had been injured and there was no telling how much psychological trauma she had had to deal with. It would be a long road to recovery for her and a promise was a promise.

“1000 pushups.” Rosa answered, ignoring Jake’s protests. A promise was a promise. As she pushed her body up and down, she made the same vow over and over again. Each tremble of her arm and droplet of sweat reinforced it over and over.

Never again. Never again would anyone hurt her family.

Never again.


End file.
